That other country

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago

Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know

We may not count her armies, we may not see her King

Her fortress is a faithful heart

her pride is suffering

And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase

And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

I don't really identify with the first verse of I Vow To Thee My Country (as applied to my homeland), but I love the second verse. It is to this other country that I feel the greatest attachment.

Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know

From a favourite song of mine.

But that’s democracy

An interesting and well-written article by Joseph Bottum discuss what religion, and politics in general, inside a democracy looks like.

Real democracy is messy. It’s got protestors and agitators and banners and manners and morals and financial pressures and gossip and policemen on horses keeping an eye out to make sure it doesn’t turn violent. Oh, yes, it’s also got government, but apart from paying for those policemen, government ought not to be too deeply involved as these things sort themselves out. If what the Muslims want to do is not illegal, than government should have nothing more to say.

That does not mean, however, that everyone else should also have nothing more to say. The attempt to build a large, new mosque and Islamic center anywhere near the site of the World Trade Center is so offensive, so bizarre, and so deliberate that it should be stopped.

And stopped it will be, through the offered mediation of New York’s Archbishop Dolan, or the skittishness of the financial community, or the disturbance of the neighbors, or the anger of the protestors, or the refusal of the building contractors. It will be messy, and it will be sharp. Inspiring and disturbing, with loud shouts on the streets and a few quiet words in the back rooms.

But that’s democracy—it’s how things get done when you accept that government shouldn’t do everything. The churches and the synagogues have long experience with this kind of democratic negotiation. Time for the mosques to learn how to do it, too.

Read the entire piece here.

Atheists Dont Have No Songs

Via Jimmy Akin comes this catchy Steve Martin number:



Romantics play Claire de Lune.
Born Agains sing "He is risen".
But no one ever wrote a tune
For godless existentialism.

Lyrics here

Malcom Cardinal Ranjith soon?

From Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror (via my mother):

A Cardinal from Vatican is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka on August 27th to make relevant inquiries into Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith who has been nominated for a cardinalship by the Vatican.

Bishops around the country are due to meet the Cardinal during his stay as part of the inquiry process, the Archbishop's house told Daily Mirror online.

Only on one instance has a Sri Lankan being presented with a cardinalship before.

Update: The Colombo Archdiocese has released a press statement denying this report. The cardinal visiting Sri Lanka is Cardinal Lovera, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship (where Archbishop Ranjith served before heading to Cololmbo), who is in the island to only to participate in a religious festival. 

So, it seems an appointment is not imminent. But hopefully Archbishop Malcolm will be made a cardinal soon. 

Also on the website, Archbishop Malcom appeals for prayers for the beatification of Thomas Cardinal Cooray, Sri Lanka's only cardinal, a truly great prelate.

What the Representative does not owe his constituents

Certainly, Gentlemen, it ought to be the happiness and glory of a Representative, to live in the strictest union, the closest correspondence, and the most unreserved communication with his constituents. Their wishes ought to have great weight with him; their opinion high respect; their business unremitted attention. It is his duty to sacrifice his repose, his pleasures, his satisfactions, to theirs; and, above all, ever, and in all cases, to prefer their interest to his own. But, his unbiased opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not to sacrifice to you; to any man, or to any set of men living. These he does not derive from your pleasure; no, nor from the Law and the Constitution. They are a trust from Providence, for the abuse of which he is deeply answerable. Your Representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion.

- Edmund Burke, Address to the electors of Bristol, delivered on November 3, 1774.

Via Fr Neuhaus on First Things.


Today's politicians should heed the wise words of Mr. Burke.

Obama's faith

There have been quite a few articles recently discussing Obama's faith. Here are a few of them:

• By Joe Carter:

Obama thinks religion is “at it’s best comes with a big dose of doubt.” He thinks “Jesus is an historical figure . . . he’s also a wonderful teacher” and certainly doesn’t think Christ is the only way to salvation (“I find it hard to believe that my God would consign four-fifths of the world to hell.”). He’s not sure about heaven and defines sin as “Being out of alignment with my values.” Additionally, he says he feels the most centered and most aligned spiritually when he’s being true to himself and that he’s a “follower, as well, of our civic religion.”

With answers like that, is it any wonder people are confused? Whatever that adds up to (Unitarianism?) it sure doesn’t look anything like the beliefs of a secret Muslim.

More

• By LarryD:

"Misinformation campaigns"? You mean his family picked a church soon after moving to Washington DC in 2009, and no one was told about it? Or the fact he disassociated himself from Reverend Wright early in the campaign? Or maybe it was this interview with George Stephanopoulus in 2007 -



Personally, I don't care what his faith is. Given the fact that the man plays golf nearly every Sunday puts him in the majority camp of so-called Christian men in this country. I've never sensed sincerity when he has mentioned God or Christ or Christianity in any of the speeches I've heard him give, but then again - there are a heck of a lot of insincere Christians in the world, too. So yeah, in some respects, he fits the description.

However, I find it interesting that during the campaign, he was caught complaining about Christians as "bitter clingers". Has he ever called Muslims "bitter clingers"? I don't think so. I also find it interesting that one of NASA's primary goals is Muslim outreach. It'd sure be nice if the Dept. of Education had Christian outreach as one of its goals, instead of Christian smackdown.

And if he is a Muslim - so what? Why should it matter? Isn't the Left all about tolerance and acceptance (unless you are a Christian - or a member of the LCWR. The liberals love those gals). The Left, of all people, shouldn't express any concern whatsoever what faith Obama is, right? Why all the fuss to convince people that Obama is a committed Christian? In fact, that ought to be self-evident.

More

• Troglopundit, via CMR:

I don't believe Obama's a Muslim. I believe he's an Obama-ist. The White House today actually commented on the fact that so many people think he's a Muslim. Troglopundit has a take on the White House's response. Trog is always pithy and humorous.

Is Obama a Muslim? The White House says:

The White House even felt compelled to respond with a terse knockdown from spokesman Bill Burton: “The president is obviously a Christian. He prays every day.”

Um, say there, Bill? Muslims pray every day, too. Five times, in fact. If you’re going to waste all our time, at least could you do so accurately?

More

• And George Neuamayr

By modern secularist standards, Barack Obama's boosterism for Islam violates the "separation between Church and state." Had George W. Bush held a rosary and modest fish dinner at the White House to mark the beginning of Lent, the ACLU left would have freaked out. But these same secularists didn't mind Barack's "Iftar dinner" last Friday night....

The moment one thinks this presidency has hit the bottom of grim parody it finds a new one. It is hard to keep track of them at this point, but any list of the White House's greatest Islamophilic hits would have to include: wanting a civilian jury trial for the 9/11 planners, refusing to identify radical Islam as a terrorist motive, endorsing the concept of jihad, fretting over the loss of "diversity" after the Fort Hood shooting, and vacationing through the fallout of an aborted Christmas day bombing over Detroit.

The White House's ideologically willful self-delusion about radical Islam is staggering. Here, for example, is its self-reporting at whitehouse.gov about the Ramadan dinner: "Last night, President Obama continued the White House tradition of hosting an Iftar -- the meal that breaks the day of fasting --celebrating Ramadan in the State Dining Room." Continued a tradition? Exactly which White House tradition is that?

The answer: Obama was referring not to a White House "tradition" but to one distant event that he carefully left vague: Thomas Jefferson's war negotiations with Tunisian envoy Sidi Soliman Mellimelli.

More

Age

By Balthasar Denner C.1685 - 1749

Via Crescat

The evolution of liberalism (and “conservatism”)

My WWWtW co-blogger Lydia McGrew calls attention to this satire of theological liberalism’s approach to sexual morality. But today’s over-the-top satire is tomorrow’s Righteous Liberal Cause, and as readers of chapter 5 of The Last Superstition know, this is more or less inevitable given the metaphysical revolution that gave rise to liberalism. There is in principle no absurdity or abomination that the liberal cannot convince himself is really good and rational. The only limit is the current, temporary position of the cultural ratchet. This seems like a good time to reprint the following March 2007 post from the old Right Reason blog. (Go here for the original, complete with the combox discussion it generated.) Liberalism repeats itself, the first time as farce, the second time as tragedy. And as you marvel at the craziness engulfing the world around you, remember, kids: The horror is just beginning.

Steve Burton (citing David Frum) describes some chilling developments in the UK vis-à-vis the growing conflict between antidiscrimination laws and religious freedom. Chilling, but not at all surprising. The developments in question illustrate a pattern that is characteristic of liberalism as it slowly works out the implications of its underlying assumptions.

To the charge that liberals are (or, given their principles, should be) in favor of X [where X = legalizing abortion, liberalizing obscenity laws, banning smoking on private property, legalizing “same-sex marriage,” outlawing the public advocacy of traditional sexual morality, etc. etc.], the standard liberal response goes through about five stages (with, it seems, roughly 5-10 years passing between each stage, though sometimes the transition is much quicker than that). 

Read the rest of Edward Feaser's article here. He lists the 5 stages that the liberal "argument" goes through when liberals try to convince themselves and the public that a particular abomination is good and rational. He also lists the stages conservatives (or "conservatives" as he puts it) go through in response.

"Nope", he says, "they don’t call ‘em the Evil Party and the Stupid Party for nothing."

Novena In Urgent Need To The Infant Jesus Of Prague

O Jesus, You said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I knock, I seek. I ask that my prayer be granted. (Mention your request)
One Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
 
O Jesus, You said, "All that you ask of the Father in My name, He will grant you." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask Your Father in Your name that my prayer be granted. (Mention your request)
One Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
 
O Jesus, You said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass." Through the intercession of Mary, Your holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted. (Mention your request)
One Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.

This is a favourite devotion of mine - it works!  

Sister Josephine Leong, rest in peace.

Once, during a talk about human virtues, Joel from Opus Dei, explaining the importance of being a good friend, and the importance of friendship for the apostolate, said that we should hope that many people come to our funeral - it would be a sign that we were a good friend. If that's true, the number of people at Josephine Leong's wake this evening is a wonderful testament to her apostolic zeal and her character.

What a sight it was. So many Legionaries gathered around the coffin, praying the Rosary and the other Legion prayers; the huge bouquets of flowers from those whom Sister Josephine had touched - her colleagues (she was a nurse, and a highly respected one too, judging from the people who had sent bouquets), from Senatus, and from the Legionaries in Malaysia.

The standard of the Legion of Mary, our vexilium, was placed near the head of the coffin - a reminder that here lay a Catholic who had dedicated her life to the advancing if God's Kingdom on earth, a soldier of Mary, obviously an apostle of Christ at her workplace, among her friends and to those whom she did not know. Sr. Jocelyn, our spiritual director, who had worked with Sister Josephine when she Josephine was President of Senatus, is right: we are lucky to have witnessed such a role model in the Legionary service right here among us, in Singapore.

I didn't know Sister Josephine well. I've seen her only about a dozen times. I've spoken to her only once, when she visited Tertiary Curia some years ago. But older Legionaries, like Paul Chen know her better, and always talk about her with great respect.

Last year we were asked to pray for her - she was fighting cancer of the spine, which had metastasised. She recovered and resumed her duties as President of North Curia, VP of her praesidium and correspondent for Senatus with the Legionaries in Malaysia. I've observed her at Senatus - she was very thorough, very sharp, and obviously very dedicated. She was at her Legionary post, on duty to the end. I missed last month's Senatus meeting, but she was present for the meeting the month before, reporting the activities of the Legionaries in East Malaysia. She was also heavily involved in the preparations for the Legion Seminar and jubilee celebrations coming up next month.

Last weekend, the current President of Senatus, Brother Anthony Gabriel, asked for prayers for Sister Josephine once again, and said that she was at Assisi Hospice. Obviously things had taken a turn for the worse.Yesterday Paul asked Anthony how she was, and we learnt that she had died that afternoon.

"There goes another great Legionary" Paul remarked. It's a huge loss to the Legion in Singapore and  cruel blow to her family. But she deserves the peace and her reward. She suffered the agony of cancer and its treatment with cheerfulness, just like Edel Quinn, whom she admired very much. I pray that she is now with Edel, in the God's Kingdom of love and glory.

Eternal rest grant unto Josephine Leong, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace. And may her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

I heard someone from heaven say, "Write this: Happy from now on are the dead who have died in the Lord. The Spirit says: Let them rest from their labours; their good deeds go with them." (Revelation 14:13)

Make Me a Channel of Your Peace

Beautiful!

Amazing!

Via Matthew Archbold's mom.





What a beautiful voice! And she seems to be Catholic.

Let's pray she doesn't go down the path of Charlotte Church.

Stunning

Our eyes are such marvels:







More here.

Edith Stein

The abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Beuron, who was her spiritual director in the years before she entered Carmel, described her as follows:

“I have seldom met a person in whom so many and so laudable characteristics were united. At the same time, she remained entirely a woman with tender and almost motherly sensitivities. Mystically gifted, she was unpretentious with simple people, scholarly with scholars, a seeker with seekers, l would almost say a sinner with sinners.”
...

In the early 1940’s, Father Jan Nota was a young Dutch Jesuit scholar assigned by his superiors to help Edith Stein ready her book, Finite and Eternal Being, for publication. It had been previously set for publication in Germany in 1936, but anti-Jewish laws had prevented that. His last visit with her provides a happy glimpse of Edith Stein only twenty-four days before her death:


"I saw Edith Stein for the last time on July 16, 1942. That is the day the Carmelite Order celebrates as its patronal feast, “Our Lady of Mount Carmel,” in commemoration of the first Carmelite friars who, back in the thirteenth century, established their life of prayer in the mountains near Haifa. When I arrived at the convent (Carmel Echt), Edith Stein asked me to deliver a homily at the Holy Hour. I felt a little nervous, having never preached in public since my ordination, but Edith Stein directed me to some beautiful Scripture texts found in the Carmelite Office and helped me to put the sermon together. In fact, she almost wrote it herself. Yet she did it all in a friendly, unassuming way, happy to have me take her suggestions. It occurred to me that Edith Stein’s intellectual talents had in no way impaired the feminine side of her personality. She was anxious that I take back enough food for the return journey. She loved to show me pictures of her family, and of Husserl and Scheler too."
...

The Nazis came for Edith and Rosa Stein at five in the afternoon. The sisters were gathered in the chapel for meditation. It was Edith’s turn read at the beginning of the meditation, and she had to stop when the prioress sent for her. Two S.S. officers stood at the Carmel grille and told her she had five minutes to pack her things. After hasty farewells and requests for prayers, Stein went out and joined Rosa, who was waiting at the convent gate. The street had begun to fill with local residents who were incensed by the round up. Rosa was upset, and Edith took her by the hand saying, “Rosa, come, we are going for our people.” She meant the Jewish people. They walked hand in hand to the corner where a van waited. It all took just a few minutes.

What follow are Edith Stein’s last letters, written July 24 thru August 6. The first two, written before the S.S. came for her on August 2, discuss her efforts to emigrate with Rosa to Switzerland. The last letters were written from a Nazi detention center in the Netherlands.

Read the rest here. It's a very beautiful article.

On reaching Rome

"Now I can only speak of Rome, Rome as a final destination of our trip where I thought I would find consolation and I found my cross. We arrived at night and we were asleep, a loud scream, of the train station attendent woke us up: 'Rome, ...Rome!' It was not a dream, I was in Rome!"

- St. Teresa di Lisieux (Diary- 3 Novembre 1895).

Via J.P. Sonnen

The Wisdom from Above

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity.
And the harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

- James 3:13-18

Encounters

I only knew Fr Marin and Joel among the people whom I travelled to Rome with. So the journey involved me getting to know my fellow-travellers. There was Benjamin Adrian, from Kuching, Malaysia, Leonard Chia and Alvin Tan from Singapore, and Benedict Ang and Gilbert Hamera from the Philippines. In addition to these, I met several interesting people during my two weeks in Italy.

Claudio was a taxi driver who picked us up at Rome's Fiumicino Airport (he was late). He had Chinese characters tattooed on his neck. Father Marin said that he heard Claudio utter words while driving which Father hadn't heard for a couple of decades. He scolded women drivers for being indecisive, drove over a curb. He also gave us one of the most memorable quotes of our trip. "I wish everywhere was like Vatican City. Inside everything is orderly, things are cheaper. Outside it's all shit"

Outside Hotel Colours with Claudio

On  the 26th, in the evening, we visited Collalto, a centre of Opus Dei for students and young professionals. We made a presentation about Singapore and Sarawak; Father Marin then gave a meditation (he talked about putting down our nets for the catch - obeying Christ - carrying out the apostolate); after Benediction we went out for dinner with some of the students. It was raining - rare for the month of June. It was a large crowd, so we didn't really get to talk to everybody. Seated near me was Jose Andreas, an architect from Spain. He struggled a bit to express himself in English - he said that learning Italian has made him forget his English (some other Spanish students studying in Italy also complained of this problem!) but it was nice chatting with him. Fabrizio was the only Italian in the group. He's studying philology. Then there was Alphonso who works as a journalist in the Vatican Information Services. That sounds like a job I'd love to have! After dinner we dropped by the centre once again, to collect our bags, and then we spent some time saying our goodbyes and exchanging email addresses. We had a surprisingly lot of things to talk about - and we reached our hotel very late that night.

Having dinner with the guys from Collalto

On the train to Assisi, on Sunday the 27th, we met Fr Dominic Lui from Hong Kong who has been studying in Rome for some time. He was heading back to Hong Kong in few weeks after a trip to Malta. Maybe we'll bump into him at World Youth Day in Madrid. He said he'll probably be asked to lead a group from his parish. Of course I don't know whether I'm going to Spain yet.

On the train we also met Christina Oh from Kuching, Malaysia. She was visiting Rome, by herself, and was also making a day trip to Assisi. She joined us for the day. We also made plans for her to meet up two days later for the Papal Mass - we had one extra ticket, which we gave her. So she joined us for the Mass of Sts. Peter and Paul, and spent the rest of Tuesday with us. She also joined Benjamin and me for the Papal Audience the next day. She said she'd bring us laksa the next time she came to Singapore.

With Christina and Fr Dominic Lui

In Assisi we came across a monk from Slovakia. He had given up everything and come to Assisi to live the life of St Francis. I found this a very memorable encounter. Here was someone striving after the original ideals of St Francis. Beautiful! Father Marin asked him to pray for us, and he asked for our prayers too. Keep him in your prayers - he's completely trusting in God for sustenance. God bless him!

Next there was an old Christian Brother, affiliated to the La Salle Brothers, from Australia. We met him while queuing to enter the Basilica of St Paul for Vespers on the 28th. I don't know his name - it was mostly Joel and Benedict who talked with him. I just listened on-and-off. He knows the person in charge of the issuing tickets for papal events in Rome and so has been to lots of such events with the Pope, including the recent concert sponsored by Patriarch Krill of Moscow in honour of Pope Benedict XVI.

The owner of the Chinese restaurant we had dinner at after Vespers was a Catholic. She spoke only Chinese and Italian. Father Marin gave her a prayer card of St Josemaria and I asked Father to pass her a Miraculous Medal from me too.

While queuing up at the Vatican Basilica the next morning for the Mass of Sts. Peter and Paul we chat with some of the nuns who were queuing up along with us.

This old nun said that people from Opus Dei are "molto determinato" - very determined. Haha.

A Filipino nun sharing pulverone with us! :

On the 30th evening, I was strolling about in Florence and went into a souvenir shop. Inside I bought a few postcards and other souvenirs and while waiting for the owner to tally the bill, I was admiring a small statue of Dante. The owner told me that Dante was her favourite author - and I showed her my copy of Dante's Purgatory which I was reading at the time.

On the 3rd of July, I was taking the train from Florence to Milan. Seated beside me and directly in front of me were two American girls. As the journey began, the one in seated in front of me took out a copy of  the Magnificat. After some time, she and her companion begam talking about a young relative back home, and how quickly he was growing up. The girl in front brought up a movie - Babies - which I had heard of from the Catholic blogs. From what she was saying, it was evident that she was a good Catholic - with a very "Catholic" love for family, children and life. They began discussing the issue of family size and she said that she wouldn't plan how many children she'd have - she'd accept as many as God gives her. The other girl seemed a bit skeptical about this and her friend did admit that of course one should be prudent too. When there was a lull in the conversation I asked if they both were Catholic. The girl seated beside me said yes, they were - and that she had noticed the book I was reading (Forty Dreams of St. John Bosco). They were sisters from Los Angeles. The elder, Karen - who was seated in front of me - is studying in Connecticut. They were in Florence for classes - and were now travelling to Nice and Paris. They'd been to Rome and see the Holy Father at the Sunday Angelus and thought I was very lucky to have attended the Papal Mass. I gave them each a Miraculous Medal which had been blessed by the Pope - Karen wore hers at once!

In Turin, on the 4th of July, I spent several hours at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, the headquarters of Don Bosco's Salesians. I met an Indian Salesian who had just arrived in Turin (I think for further studies). I wanted to have Masses offered for mine, my family's and friends' needs. After failing to make the secretary understand what I wanted, I just went into the church thinking I'd just drop the Mass offering into a box instead, and just there, inside the side entrance to the church, I saw a little office where we could request for Masses to be offered. There was an elderly Italian priest inside. I first tried to communicate in Italian, and then realised he could speak perfect English. Turns out he has lived in Sri Lanka for 12 years. He knew Mt Lavania (near where I live) and the Galle Road. He ended up hearing my confession too! I took his name down saying I'd pray for him - hopefully he'll pray for me too! His name is Fr Joseph Giaime.

In addition to these unplanned encounters, there were some planned meetings too.

Father Valerian Cheong, CSS Chaplain for the first few years I was in NUS. It's been an year since he went to Rome to do his licentiate in Scripture Studies, but it seems longer. He's missed in Singapore and in CSS!

We also met Damien Lim, a Singaporean member of Opus Dei, studying at the University of the Holy Cross. He'll be ordained as a deacon in November and will eventually be the first Singaporean priest of Opus Dei:

In Milan, on the 3rd of July, I met Clara, a dear friend from high school. Haven't seen her for 6 years! It was so nice to meet her again. She came down from Lausanne, Switzerland where she's studying. She's going to be a doctor very soon!

Also there were some "celebrity" sightings:

Monsignor Guido Marini, Pope Benedict's Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations. I saw him quite a few times on the 28th and 29th:

At St Paul's, before Vespers

As we entered St Peter's before the Mass of Sts. Peter and Paul

Directing the last-minute preparations for the Mass

Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., Cardinal Secretary of State and Camerlengo. One of the most powerful men in the Vatican:

 Monsignor Georg Gänswein, the Pope's personal secretary:

Monsignor Francesco Camaldo, Guido Marini's assistant. He has served under Pope John Paul II as well, so is a very familiar face:

Walter Cardinal Kasper, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity:

Archbishop Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, previously Archbishop of St. Louis:

Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera. He's the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Nicknamed "Little Ratzinger".

And of course Il Papa!

But the Holy Father deserves a blogpost all for himself!

Mary in the City

There are several Marian feasts coming up this month and next. Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Snows and the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

A feast that commemorates the dedication of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, Italy. The church was originally built by Pope Liberius, and was known as the Basilica Liberii or Liberiana. It was restored by Pope Sixtus III, and dedicated to Our Lady. From that time on it was known as Basilica S. Mariæ or Mariæ Majoris. Since the seventh century it was known also as Maria ad Præsepe.

The appellation ad Nives (of the snow) originated a few hundred years later, as did also the legend which gave this name to the church. The legend says that during the pontificate of Liberius, the Roman patrician John and his wife, who were without heirs, made a vow to donate their possessions to Our Lady. They prayed that she might make known to them how they were to dispose of their property in her honour. During the night of 5 August, snow fell on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. In obedience to a vision which they had the same night, the couple built a basilica in honour of Our Lady on the spot which was covered with snow. (Source: SPQN)

Source: J.P. Sonnen

We visited this beautiful Basilica on the 25th of June. That day - partly by design, and partly by accident - turned out to be a very Marian day.

We started with Mass at the Church of Our Lady Queen of the Holy Rosary. Father said he would celebrate the Mass in honour of our Blessed Mother. So his homily was on her.

After breakfast, we then took tram and bus away from the busy centre of Rome to visit the Catacombs of Priscilla.

The house of Priscilla believed to be named after Priscilla, a member of the gens Acilia and who was probably the wife of the Consul Acilius who became a Christian and was killed on the orders of Domitian.

The catacombs were a very memorable experience. I really felt close to the early Christians - I saw how joyful and optimistic they were through their artwork and inscriptions. Death for them was something joyful - a rebirth. And our (very knowledgeable and humorous) guide told us that it is a myth that catacombs were hiding places for Christians. Christians did not hide in them. They buried their dead in them. They lived normal lives, interacting with non-Christians and eventually transforming Rome.

 The earth here was soft volcanic rock, so burial was easy. You see the some of the burial niches in the left of the above photo. There were quite a lot of places for infants too - the infant mortality rate was very high back then.

Our guide told us that several popes were buried in these catacombs but their remains now lay in churches around Rome.

Photos were not really allowed - so I took only a few (I couldn't resist snapping one or two!), so I don't have photos of the artwork that decorated several of the tombs of the wealthier people (these were not slots in the wall but larger enclaves. Our guide mentioned that many of the wealthy Christians wished to be buried alongside the poor Christians and refused large graves.

Earlier on I said that some of our Marian encounters were accidental. We originally planned to visit the Catacombs of St Calisto, but changed our minds after Father Val suggested we visit Priscilla instead since the former was quite out of the way. So when Father Marin planned this to be a Marian day, he didn't include in the itinerary that we would see the the oldest known image of Mary which daties to the early 3rd century. This was Providence!

The Madonna and Child are depicted along with the prophet Balaam (probably) pointing to a star, considered an allusion to the prophecy of Balaam: "A star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel" (Numbers 24:15-17).

We prayed three Hail Marys here, and spent some time in quiet prayer here. 

On our way out we passed another group of pilgrims. And our guide informed us that that was the group that got lost two days ago in the maze of tunnels abd still hadn't found their way out. He was joking of course. Funny guy - especially because he usually talks with such seriousness.

After the catacombs, Father and Joel left us for a while: they had been invited to have lunch at the central house of Opus Dei. We were to have lunch, do a bit of exploring ourselves, and rendezvous at St Mary Major at 4pm.

Tasty lunch (I miss Italian panini!). Meals were cheaper here, away from the centre of Rome.

A bus ride away from the suburbs and we were off to explore Rome!

 

First stop - the Quirinale, the residence of the President of Italy, formerly a papal palace:

The Piazza is sprawling. You can see the dome of St Peter's in the distance:

Next: Fontana di Trevi, packed with tourists:

Near the fountain stands the Church of Saints Vincent and Anastasius, which as I discovered after returning to Singapore contains the hearts of Popes Sixtus V, Urban VII, Gregory XIV, Innocent IX, Clement VIII, Leo XI, Paul V, Gregory XV, Urban VIII, Innocent X, Alexander VII, Clement IX, Clement X, Bl. Innocent XI, Alexander VIII, Innocent XII, Clement XI, Innocent XIII, Benedict XIII, Clement XII, Benedict XIV, Clement XIII, Clement XIV, Pius VII, Leo XII, Pius VIII, Gregory XVI, Bl. Pius IX (all the Popes from Sixtus V, who died in 1590, to Pius IX, with the exception of Pius VI).

Originally Roman Catholic, since 2002 the church has been used by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

We then head towards the Spanish Steps.

On our way we passed this pillar with a statue of Mother Mary placed on top. It reminded me (correctly, I later discovered) of Pope Benedict's beautiful homily on the 2009 Feast of the Immaculate Conception. You must read it! Go here.

In the heart of Christian cities, Mary constitutes a sweet and reassuring presence. In her self-effacing style, she gives everyone peace and hope during the happy and sad moments of life. In churches, chapels or the walls of buildings, a painting, mosaic or a statue stand as a remainder of the Mother’s presence, constantly watching over her children. Here too in Piazza di Spagna, Mary stands high, on guard over Rome.

- Pope Benedict XVI

 Barcaccia Fountain, the work of Pietro Bernini and his son, Gian Lorenzo Bernini (the latter went on to create many masterpieces, including the baldacchino at St Peter's, truly treasures of Rome)

The Spanish Steps - the longest and widest staircase in Europe

The church of the Santissima Trinità dei Monti (often called merely the Trinità dei Monti) is a late Renaissance church in Rome. It is best known for its commanding position above the Spanish Steps which lead down to the Piazza di Spagna. The church and its surrounding area (including the Villa Medici) are the property of the French State.

On to the Piazza del Popolo

 

And after a metro ride, we finally make it to Santa Maria Maggiore:

Approaching from the rear:

 The facade:

Tradition has it that in August 352 AD, the Blessed Virgin appeared to Pope Liberius instructing him to build a church in her honor on the Esquiline hill, on the site previously occupied by the Temple of the goddess Cybele. The floorplan was outlined the next day by a miraculous August snowfall. This basilica, however, was not completed until the reign of Pope Sixtus III (432-440) most probably hastened by the proclamation in 431 by the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus that it is truly right and fitting to honor Mary under the title of "Theotokos" or "Mother of God." (Source)

Santa Maria Maggiore is the only Roman basilica that retained the core of its original structure, left intact despite several additional construction projects and damage from the earthquake of 1348.

The columns flanking the nave are of Athenian marble. They were in all probability part of the first basilica, and are possibly reused from an older Roman building. Above them are mosaics of Old Testament history, which probably makes them the oldest Christian mosaics in a church in Rome. 

A Monsignor praying his breviary

The gold used here is said to be the first gold brought from the New World, given by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain.

Mosaics from the 5th Century, in the triumphal arch, and from the 13th Century in the apse.

Bernini so loved this church that he requested to be buried here - and he was.

The Basilica is also the centre of the devotion to Santa Maria Salus Populi Romani, the health of the Roman People.

 Marian pillar at the entrance to the Basilica

After Maria Maggiore, we visited the beautiful baroque Basilica of Saint Praxedes (Santa Prassede)

A fragment of the pillar of the scourging

The Basilca had so many stunning mosaics:

Outside once again.

Totus Tuus  - Pope John Paul's Marian motto. "All yours"

Santa Maria della Vittoria:

The church was begun in 1605 as a chapel dedicated to Saint Paul for the Discalced Carmelites. After the Catholic victory at the battle of White Mountain in 1620, which reversed the Reformation in Bohemia, the church was rededicated to the Virgin Mary. (Turkish standards captured at the 1683 siege of Vienna hang in the church, as part of this theme of victory.)

Bernini's very beautiful "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa"

We dropped by the Church of St. Sussanah, the church of the Americans in Rome. We then visited Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs.

This originally was the building that housed the vast Baths of Dicoletian, the emperor notorious for his persecution of Christians.

It's a vast building, and the photo does not really do justice to the proportions. The church's vault was designed by Michaelangelo.

After this, we had dinner near the Termini train station and head back to our hotel.

SUB tuum praesidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genetrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

WE fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

An ancient prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the oldest known version of which is found on an Egyptian papyrus from the 3rd century.